1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to the field of dental implants, and, more particularly, to an organic shaped interface that may be employed with various dental implant devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is becoming more common to replace a missing tooth with a prosthetic tooth that is placed upon and attached to a dental implant. The dental implant serves as the artificial root in that it integrates with the jawbone. The prosthetic tooth preferably has a size and a color that mimics the missing natural tooth. Consequently, the patient has an aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound artificial tooth.
One known arrangement for a dental implant involves an implant portion, or artificial root, that is received in a hole prepared in a patient's jawbone (mandible or maxilla), and an abutment, or prosthesis support, that is securable to the implant portion and that extends beyond the gingival tissue to support a tooth prosthesis. The implant portion and the abutment are constructed as separate components that are secured together by an attachment means, such as a screw passed through the abutment and received within a threaded bore in the implant portion.
Current methods by which the prosthetic tooth and implant are completely integrated into the patient's mouth require six to ten months, and sometimes longer, because two distinct, time-consuming steps are involved. In a first surgical procedure, an incision is made in the gingival tissue to expose the alveolar bone. Following any dressing of the surface of the bone that may be necessary, a hole that is complementary in shape to the implant portion is drilled in the bone and the implant portion is inserted. A healing cap or screw is attached to the implant portion to occlude the threaded bore, and the gingival tissue is stitched closed over the implant portion to await osseointegration.
In a subsequent second surgical procedure, following osseointegration of the implant portion, the gingival tissue is again opened to expose the implant portion. The healing cap or screw is removed and replaced with a second healing cap having an outer surface corresponding in shape below the gum line to that of the abutment, but protruding slightly above the gingival tissue. The gingival tissue surrounding the second healing cap is sutured thereabout to await healing in conformity to the outer surface of the second healing cap.
After the gingival tissue has healed, the second healing cap is removed and replaced with a permanent abutment that is secured to the implant. The abutment can be configured to support a single tooth prosthesis fashioned thereon or to support a bridge structure carrying multiple tooth prostheses.
However, current abutment designs do not follow the scalloped shape of the bone surrounding the natural tooth. This natural bone architecture leads to the preservation of the soft tissue between the teeth (interdental papilla) necessary for aesthetic results. Many available implants have an unnatural shape due to the configuration of the interface between the abutment and the implant portion, i.e., a side-by-side flat or beveled interface. Such interfaces typically allow only the formation of approximately flat bone contours. Such prior art interfaces do not promote the formation of bone contours exhibiting desired facial to interdental height differences required to form the adequate papilla shape that is necessary to inhibit the formation of an unaesthetic empty space between the teeth (so-called black triangle disease).
The present invention is directed to various devices that may solve, or at least reduce, some or all of the aforementioned problems.